How I learned to ask questions when writing for others, after I didn’t with my ass on the line.
Before you write anything for new clients, ask them what kind of writing they like or want. E.g., direct, provocative, colorful, spare. Look at things that were written for them by others or that their office or company had published. Get a bead on their preferences, so you won’t stumble by writing something alien to their tastes or needs.
Also, if they request a certain kind of document, say a brochure, and you don’t have agreed-upon specifics, ask them the purpose and for whom it’s intended, and the size, maybe bring a sample or two to help them focus.
When I was young and starting out as a freelancer, a serendipitous client -- referred by a guy I met in a bar the night before -- asked me to write a brochure over a weekend for a lot of money. It was intended as a picture of the company’s history, growth, products, success. He needed it Monday at noon. Lamely, I didn’t ask any of these questions, but assumed what was warranted, read the background he had messengered to me, and wrote away. The guy loved what I showed him on Monday mid-morning but said the concept was not only wrong; it was dead wrong!
Obviously, he was peeved. I was red-faced and felt dumber than a nude teenager hiding behind a bush after his friends had run off with his bathing suit and pants just as he was going to get dressed at the local swimming hole and some girls from school would be walking past in seconds.
I had written text for a lovely six-page glossy folder along with ideas for bleed photos and abstract background graphics. It was a gem of its kind.
What did he want? A three-panel Slim-Jim folder with mostly bulleted entries that he could edit and have retyped in his office that day, then photocopied on 8.5x11 heavy paper, no pix, just type with headlines and sub-heads as visual breaks. Something he could slip into his vest pocket and hand to people at a conference he was going to the very next day!
Fortunately, he allowed me to rework the text in his office to give him what he required and post-haste. The end result was what I could have written in a few hours had I asked a few basic questions instead of assuming what was needed. Yes, we worked it out in the end, but not without upsetting his day and mine. Not a good way to do business. I’ve never made that mistake again and my writing and freelance relationships improved accordingly and resulted in more satisfied clients and more assignments.
Takeaway: If the other person doesn’t tell you and you don’t ask, guess whose ass is on the line?